[Interview] "KT 'Season'... Expanding the Base of MZ Generation and Hallyu Fandom Market"

Yoo Hyun-jung, KT Mobile Media Business Manager
Focus on Short-form, Hallyu, Fandom, and Millennials... Targeting the MZ Generation
Will Expand the Base of Original Content

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] "Just as we remember the artists we liked in our teens when we are in our twenties, I believe the same applies to platforms. We will expand the base so that the current millennial generation can continue to enjoy 'Season' even as time passes."

This is the statement of Yoo Hyun-jung, KT Mobile Media Business Director (pictured, Executive Director), who leads KT's online video service (OTT) 'Season.' Season targets the MZ generation (Millennials and Generation Z), who are heavy OTT users and the core consumers of K-content. The platform appeals to the MZ generation's tastes, who are familiar with platforms like 'Quibi' and 'TikTok' and enjoy web dramas and web variety shows as content.

The response was swift. 'Children in a Secret Room Season 2' surpassed 1 million cumulative likes during its broadcast period. Taiwan's telecom company FET purchased eight Season original drama contents including 'Yeonnam-dong Family,' 'Woke Up with Three Boyfriends,' 'Romance, Talking,' and 'Ghost Bros.' 'Woojungz's Insider Tour' and 'NCT Life' were also exported to Japan and Southeast Asia. Domestic customers increased as well. Since its launch in November last year, Season recorded 2.36 million unique users (as of May) in just over six months, establishing itself as a platform closely trailing native OTTs Wave (3.46 million) and TVING (2.54 million).

Director Yoo said, "We focused on the Hallyu fandom market as part of steadily building our customer base. Since this market is becoming a cultural trend, we believed that continuously discovering and investing in original content would yield results." As a latecomer in the OTT field, Season did not compete with content giants like Netflix or Studio Dragon with mainstream original content but rather focused on a clear target audience of 'Millennials' and 'Hallyu' fans and pursued overseas exports. In the second half of the year, they plan to strengthen the chat platform to increase customer touchpoints and showcase a large number of self-produced contents.

In the second half, they also plan to actively utilize synergies as part of the KT Group, which holds the number one position in wired and IPTV market share. Director Yoo said, "We have original IPTV channel platforms like SkyTV, the device Season on mobile, and smart TVs that produce content. These three entities will unite to create well-made content, sell VOD simultaneously on three channels, and allow customers to enjoy content, maximizing group synergies."

Regarding competition with foreign OTTs like YouTube and Netflix, Director Yoo stated, "I believe there are limits to confining content within a platform or using a closed format. YouTube serves as a marketing channel, and Netflix is significant as a leader driving economies of scale in the OTT market. We are not trying to defeat them but to grow the market pie together and develop."